Asian Games Best Shots: 17-Year-Old Swimmer Wins Gold in Breaststroke

[Gold] Shin Ohashi (17)
Men’s 200m Breaststroke

A 17-year-old high school student has blossomed into a star.

At the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games (September 19–October 4), Japan won 83 gold medals, breaking the previous record for the first time in 60 years, since the 1966 Bangkok Games. One athlete who drew particular attention was Shin Ohashi, who set a world record of 2:04.83 in the men’s 200m breaststroke.

“Standing at 169cm, Ohashi is smaller than his rivals on the world stage, but he has steadily improved his times with his own distinctive, high-tempo swimming style. In modern swimming, the prevailing approach has been to use long strokes to reduce water resistance, so Ohashi’s emergence is truly revolutionary.

Former swimmer Kosuke Kitajima set a world record in the 200m breaststroke at the 2002 Busan Asian Games, then won gold in both the 100m and 200m breaststroke at the 2004 Athens Olympics. I hope Ohashi can follow a similar path and win gold at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.” (Sports writer Yoshimi Oriyama)

There was another remarkable achievement in track and field. In the women’s 100m hurdles, Mako Fukube (30) and Hitomi Nakajima (31) secured a Japanese one-two finish for the first time in 44 years.

“Fukube won gold while battling the rare disease Kikuchi disease. Nakajima, who is the same age as Fukube, set a Japanese record of 12.60 seconds in the event this year. Since this is an event in which athletes can reach the top of the world in their 30s, I expect both women to continue improving their times.” (Ibid.)

[Gold] Mako Fukube (30) [Silver] Hitomi Nakajima (31)
Women’s 100m Hurdles

Fukube got off to a strong start and narrowly held off Nakajima’s late charge to secure a Japanese one-two finish. The two embraced with tears in their eyes.

[Gold] Men’s 4×400m Relay

The biggest upset of the Games came in the men’s table tennis team event. Japan defeated archrivals China in the final to become Asian champions for the first time in 60 years, since the 1966 Bangkok Games. Former Japanese national team player Hiroko Fujii explains:

“The biggest turning point came in the fourth match, with Japan trailing one win to two. If they lost that match, they would be eliminated. Their opponent was Wang Chuqin (26), who was ranked No. 1 in the world at the time. Tomokazu Harimoto (23) left his teammates with the words, ‘Just wait. I’ll win,’ and then did exactly that. Sora Matsushima (19) followed by defeating Wen Ruibo (19), securing the long-awaited gold medal. Matsushima is known for his powerful style of play. After the tournament, he overtook Wang to become the world No. 1, the first Japanese player to reach the top spot in 46 years and the youngest ever.”

[Gold] Men’s Table Tennis Team

[Read Part 2 here] “I Really Wanted to Win Here” — Asian Games 2026 BEST SHOT IN NAGOYA!

From the October 23 & 30, 2026, combined issue of “FRIDAY”